Introduction As a rights-based organisation, Changing Our Lives has a long history of working with disabled people to raise awareness of health inequalities, challenge the systems that perpetuate them and remove barriers to healthcare. Our vision is that no-one is too disabled to live an ordinary life, and this includes having equal access to good health outcomes. A healthy posture is important for us all. The way we move, the way we sit, the way we lay in bed at night, all have an impact on our spine and body shape. Most of us are born with a symmetrical body shape. For people with reduced mobility, it is more difficult to maintain a healthy posture. This means that over time, some people with reduced mobility develop body shape distortions. These changes are not inevitable. Postural care is any intervention which protects a person’s body shape and reduces their risk of health complications associated with distortion. For some people, poor posture can be a silent killer. A change in body shape affects the internal organs, and can lead to hip dislocation, scoliosis and increased respiratory infections. The most recent Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) report showed that respiratory illness was the most frequent cause of death in adults with learning disabilities, and called for particular attention to postural support (Heslop et al., 2020). For people with the label of profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) in particular, good postural care is linked to a person’s quality of life. Being supported to sit up straighter enables a person to eat safely and in comfort, allows more opportunities to initiate communication through eye contact and can increase a person’s independence. In 2019, NHS England and Improvement commissioned Changing Our Lives to write the stories of 6 people who demonstrate the benefits of good postural care. Not all the people we spoke to have learning disabilities, but all show how postural care can be the cornerstone of an ordinary life. In 2021, Changing Our Lives will continue our work on postural care, particularly with people who have learning disabilities. We are developing a Digital Postural Care Passport, which will enable people with learning disabilities and their families to take ownership of their postural care. We are also planning a postural care conference aimed at raising awareness and skills in Learning Disability Nurses. Reference: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/sps/leder/resources/annual-reports/
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